AUT Innovation Fund
Empowering some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most innovative minds to commercialise their research and transform it into a real-world solution.
The AUT Innovation Fund, managed by AUT Ventures was launched in May 2025 with an investment of $5 million from AUT.
Growing research income is a key focus and the AUT Innovation Fund extends the way we support innovation and research commercialisation. The Innovation Fund is about building a culture of commercialisation, connecting researchers, postgraduate students and industry.
The AUT Innovation Fund has two key mechanisms:
- To directly invest in early-stage companies that have evolved from science and technological research; and
- To create new commercialisation and impact opportunities from AUT research and capabilities.
We’re proud to facilitate these initiatives in support of AUT researchers and students:
The Tīmatanga Initiate Grant
The Tīmatanga Initiate Grant supports AUT academics’ engagement with industry and encourages them to develop a proof of concept of a research idea that shows a good chance of turning into a commercialisation opportunity.
The Pito Mata Potential Grant
The Pito Mata Potential Grant fosters collaboration between AUT researchers and Master of Business Administration (MBA) students.
Venture Investment Policy
Want to know about how the AUT Ventures Investment Committee makes investment decisions?